DATE=10/4/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=IRAQ / POLIO (L-O)
NUMBER=2-254638
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations says it hopes to provide
polio vaccinations for about three-and-one-half-
million children in Iraq during the next three days.
Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports the World Health
Organization and UNICEF -- the U-N Children's Fund --
organized the program after an outbreak of the disease
in Iraq.
TEXT: The World Health Organization says widespread
transmission of the polio virus in Iraq is posing a
growing health threat to the country and to the region
as a whole.
W-H-O says that since May, it has confirmed 16 cases
of the crippling disease in Iraq. An additional 19
cases are being investigated.
W-H-O Medical Officer Rudy Tangermann says Iraq was
thought to have been polio free. He says this makes
the renewed outbreak of disease very worrisome.
Dr. Tangermann says he believes the economic sanctions
against Iraq are affecting the overall delivery of
health services. And, this he says, makes it more
difficult to bring vaccines into the country.
/// TANGERMANN ACT ONE ///
Some of the reasons why we do see this outbreak
is that routine immunization coverage and the
coverage during the NIDS (National Immunization
Days) simply was not good enough to prevent the
outbreak, to create good enough immunity levels
which at least is somewhat related to this
special situation. And, I would say, indirectly
related also to the relative isolation and
economic sanctions.
/// END ACT ///
The W-H-O reports nine of the confirmed cases of polio
were found in nomadic cattle-herding families. Most
of the reported cases involve children under age two
who had not been properly immunized.
The health agency also says the migration of people
across national boundaries and civil unrest help
create perfect conditions for the spread of the polio
virus. Dr. Tangermann says this could pose serious
problems for Iraq's neighbors.
/// TANGERMANN ACT TWO ///
The resurgence of polio is threatening
neighboring countries by the risk of exportation
from this country into neighboring countries
which, in this case are Jordan, Iraq, Syria in
the north, and Turkey. And so we are very
concerned. This needs to be stamped out, as it
were, as soon as possible to avoid these
negative consequences.
/// END ACT ///
The World Health Organization will conduct a second
round of immunizations in Iraq next month. Another
two rounds are planned early next year. (SIGNED)
NEB/LS/JWH/RAE
04-Oct-1999 12:04 PM LOC (04-Oct-1999 1604 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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